So I will be spending the next 2 years in the Sikasso region of Mali, in a little village called Bougoula. 1,000 people, no electricity, internet and I’m assuming no air conditioning. But I will have a 2 room house…or 2 huts…with my own nyegen (walled in area made of cement and mud with a hole in the middle of the floor to take care of business…the bathroom). The family that will watch over me and I assume lives close to me during my time there is the dugutigi (village chief…head honcho) of the village. This may not sound like a lot but it is a very high ranking position even for only 1,000 people. Sikasso is the southern-most region of Mali. The capital city of the same name is the 3rd-largest city and is growing rapidly due to people fleeing the violence in Côte d'Ivoire to the south. Major ethnic groups include the Senoufo, known for masks and reverence for animals, the Samago, known for being Mali's best farmers, and the main ethnic group in Mali, the Bambara people. The local economy is based on farming and the Sikasso, which receives more rain than any other Malian region, is known for its fruits and vegetables.
The city of Sikasso is known for a vibrant outdoor market which features fabrics, numerous vegetables and fruits (especially mangoes, for which Sikasso is particularly renowned.) Sikasso is an ethnic and linguistic melting pot featuring people from outlying villages, immigrants from Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso and refugees.
It is 7k to the nearest market and it's only open 1 day a week. Since there is no refrigeration to keep food and the fact that I have to walk or bike 5 miles to get to the market when it is open I'm planning on losing some weight. I'm down 10 pounds since I got here. Not quite sure since all I eat is carbs. I use potatoes to pick up my rice. And rice to keep up my potatoes. My banking town is 32K away...at least an hour on a local transit bus. Lucky me.
No comments:
Post a Comment